If you’ve applied for a corporate job, somewhere along the way, you’ve had to do a psychometric test. This test is suppose to weed out the all the unsuitable personality types. There is one inherent problem in this test, it requires candidates/participants to be self-aware. Sadly, not many people are truly self-aware.
And this is the question I had put forth to the consultant who was lecturing about the validity and use of psychometric testing when it comes to candidate selection.
The test asks questions about your perception on your abilities and your perception of other people’s perception of you as a person. Here are some sample statements/questions that I recall being asked:
- I liked hurting small animals when I was a child.
- I liked to burn things when I was a child.
- Scuba diving is fun.
- Sky diving is fun.
- I am good at what I do.
- Other people think I’m good at what I do.
- I am a team player.
This test reflects on what you think of yourself. It really is only effective for assessing those who are not delusional and the psychopaths. Sociopaths and narcissists would pass this test with great results. They would be the great candidates which would make you thank your lucky stars that they’ve applied for a position in your team, and then, will be the disease which slowly kills team spirit and makes the competent really hate the working environment.
The test asks you the same questions, phrased differently, over and over and over again. It’s designed to catch you out, so that you will eventually let your guard down and let your true self out. That said, if you are delusional, then, there’s no catching you out. That’s who you truly think you are.
I had asked the consultant about this, and she said that that’s why you have to interview the candidates. I pointed out that in the interview, they will project someone who was very competent and have all the desirable traits which we would be looking for. She agreed, and then said that that’s what the psychometric was for. And that led to my immense frustration, we had just gone around in circles and she looked at me as though I’m the moron, not that she had just talked herself into a circle. It was one of the most frustrating conversations I’ve ever had in my life.
What do you think? Maybe I’m wrong in my evaluation and assessment of this process. It yielded favourable and unfavourable candidates, from my experience. You might as well not bother and save the money for a night out and team bonding affair instead in my opinion.
Ranter & Banter 